In order to educate senators about artificial intelligence (AI), Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has organized a series of briefings. He has urged his colleagues to “deepen our expertise in this pressing topic.”
The action is being taken as American legislators ponder how to control the new wave of quickly developing AI technology that underlies potent chatbot tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Bard.
The technical lessons should be eagerly welcomed because some senators may be finding it difficult to grasp the new tools and properly comprehend the enormous societal impacts of AI predicted by experts.
The seminars will be held in the upcoming weeks and will focus on three subjects in particular:
– What is the frontier of AI and how do we maintain American leadership?
– How do the Department of Defense and Intelligence Community use AI today and what do we know about how our adversaries are using AI?
In a message posted online announcing the briefings, Schumer called recent developments in AI “astounding,” saying that technological advancements are occurring practically daily and range from making it possible for anybody to programme computers to enabling the paralysed to walk again. The Senate needs to be aware of the amazing promise and hazards that AI brings as it transforms the world.
Schumer noted that while some AI experts have consistently warned us that the technology will have a profound impact on everything from our national security to our educational system to our workforce, potentially leading to significant job displacement, others, like Geoffrey Hinton, who has been dubbed “the godfather of AI” for his groundbreaking work in the field, have painted a more ominous picture, warning that if the technology isn’t handled carefully, it could be catastrophic for the human race.
When he claimed that some of his colleagues were having trouble keeping up with the field’s rapid advancements, Republican Congressman Jay Obernolte highlighted worries about lawmakers’ lack of expertise in AI in March. He noted that this made it difficult to enact effective regulations to regulate the technology.
According to Obernolte, an AI expert who claimed he frequently has to explain to colleagues that the greatest hazards of AI won’t be from wicked robots with red lasers coming out of their eyes.
The upcoming briefings should aid senators in understanding the finer points of the most recent generation of AI tools and their implications for society, but it is still to be hoped that those grappling with the issue will put in some additional effort on their own time to ensure that when it comes to regulating AI, the rules will be applicable, efficient, and fair.
